Hitman - Instinct

"Hitman," - Rock's Thoughts during Instincts

"Hitman" - Enemies speaking during Instincts

Ch. II: Worthless Risks

*Caw Caw*

Soaring beneath the blue sky, the seagull spreads its wings as its shadow trailed over the stone port. On this pier, a woman crossed her arms as her two well-armed men watched the courier reach into his jacket and take out their package.

"The disk," Dutch said, handing it to his client. "As promised, Ms. Balalaika."

A tall, blue-eyed woman whose beauty was unblemished by the scars covering her body, especially the right of her face. Her blond hair went down to her back and was made into a huge ponytail. She wore a wine red suit with a matching skirt with black stockings and high heels.

After a brief examination, Balalaika passed it to her Sergeant before returning her attention to her favorite company.

"I appreciate your services, Dutch. That said, I'm a little surprised at how quickly you arrived," She smirked, her rosy lips curling up. "The Extra Order? My men reported an intense gunfight occurring last night. They must have been quite a hassle."

"I wouldn't know, Miss Balalaika," At her raised eyebrow, Dutch explained. "After our talk, we left the bar before the shit hit the fan. If you ask me, they must've screwed up and got into a shootout with the regulars."

"Experienced veterans were eliminated by…lowly thugs? Who likely was armed with nothing bigger than revolvers?" Balalaika questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"Crazier shit has happened," He shrugged. "Besides, we both know someone more than capable of handling a couple of mercs."

He had her that, she conceded, clicking her tongue.

Still…

"As long as these mercenaries live, they'll continue to pursue you. I'll handle them."

"Did Rock…?" Dutch wrinkled his brow before focusing on his client. "Is that everything?"

"Yes. Hotel Moscow can handle things from here. You'll have your payment by tomorrow," Closing her eyes, the Russian smiled kindly before looking past him and noticing his ship. "What about the others? Aren't they going to come out?"

"We've received another job back at the Roanapur," Dutch grimaced, noticing the gleam in her eye. "Nothing time-consuming, it was quick, and they're waiting on the transaction promised by our client," He explained before exhaling noisily. "Honestly, yesterday was…interesting."

Before she could respond, Balalaika was suddenly tapped on her shoulder and found her Sergeant holding a phone, frowning darkly. "Kapitan, there is a message waiting for you."

"Can't it wait?"

"It's about…" Shaking his head, he faltered briefly before steeling his nerves and stared directly at his Kapitan, concluding quietly. "…the clown."

Whoever that was…

"What?"

They had his condolences as Balalaika stiffened with shadows covering her eyes that glowed with something vile, yet controlled.

Just then, it faded away, replaced by a heavy sigh and a hand pinching her nose.

Slowly, Balalaika held her hand out as she looked at her courier.

"Thank you for your assistance, but you should leave," The Russian requested, looking slightly exhausted. "I'm suddenly feeling very, very conflicted right now."

With a brief farewell, Dutch walked down to the pier and towards his boat. Once onboard, he lets out a deep sigh before taking out his packet of cigarettes and putting one to his lips. However, as he reached for his lighter, the captain heard a loud commotion from inside his boat.

"Never a dull moment," He thought, lighting his cigarette and taking a deep inhale.

After a slow exhale, Dutch entered the Lagoon, sighing as Revy stumbled out of the cabin. Looking like she'd seen some shit and drank Bao out of the house and home.

Which sounds better than wrecking the Flag every other week.

"Let me guess, the payment wasn't what you expected?" Dutch grunted, only to blink as his employee hissed savagely. "What the fuck?"

Holding onto the bulkhead for dear life, Revy swallowed. "You need to see for your-fucking-self."

Trembling, Revy led her boss to Benny's room, where his hacker leaned back in his chair with his head pointed at the ceiling with his hands on his face.

Moving closer, Dutch realized his hacker was muttering under his breath.

"Benny?"

Looking to his left, the hacker chuckled, half-insane and half vacant. "D-Dutch, when hehe did you get here?"

"Just now," Dutch grimaced, looking over his shoulder to see Revy leaning against the door. "What the hell's going on? The both of you look like you just down three bottles of Bacardi and still woke up to Pearl Harbor."

"We look shitfaced?" Revy drawled slowly, nodding to herself as her fractured sanity returned. "I'm going to get shitfaced when this is all done."

As the captain raised his brow, Benny sighed and pointed at his computer. Warily, he marched towards the screen and examined its contents while his employees examined him. When Dutch takes off his priced sunglasses and exposes his green eyes to the world, then you know shit just got real.

And there was nothing more real than the million dollars resting in their account.

"Well, I'll be damned."

"You know how was I saying that this would be for nothing?" Benny muttered, throwing his head forward before slowly lifting his eyes towards the screen. "I take it all back."

Sliding to her ass, Revy plopped her head against the door, her face clouded by a serenity only found in comatose patients.

"I can't even say shit on you for that," Revy mumbled, staring into the void. "I'm still trying to reason why I did it in the first place. This isn't helping either."

After a moment, Benny glanced over his shoulder.

"Sooo-"

"I'm willing to handle this physically if that's what you want?" Revy said, clenching her fists.

"-Dutch," Benny stated, looking at their bemused captain. "What's the plan? I mean this is going draw heads if anyone finds out."

Putting his glasses back on, Dutch sighed. "Which is why we're going to leave it there. This account is our emergency fund, so it's no big deal."

Doesn't explain how the money got there in the first place was the thought going through their minds.

Sighing, Revy scratched her head with a tired scowl.

"I want a raise."

"You'll get it," Dutch conceded, stepping over his employee. "Now, let's get moving. We left those two in our dock office and that isn't exactly well fortified. We may have gotten paid, but that doesn't mean we should half-ass a job."

"Fuck it," Revy snorted, making her way up. "When this much cash is on the line. Expect nothing but my finest."

"Which isn't much, to begin with."

"Do you wanna die, Benny?"

"Not really."

As their boat rested in their dock house and the shutter dropped behind them, the Lagoon Company walked up the stairs towards their door.

Opening the door, Revy yawned. "Hope you pricks haven't touched our shit? Right?"

"They did not, but I'll admit you should take that with a grain of salt," He reassured, admiring their dock office. "Still, this building is well maintained compared to the others I've seen thus far."

As her coworkers tensed up, Revy nodded. "We run a tight circuit around…"

Opening her eyes wide, Revy curled her lips before stomping over to the sofa their white-collared guest was sitting on. Standing over him, he hummed softly, raising his head to stare directly at her.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes, yes there is," With her hands on her hips, Revy scowled. "What the fuck are you doing here, Rock?"

Blinking, Rock answered. "Waiting for your arrival. I had to make sure that the transaction went through. Speaking of which," When Dutch nodded, Rock tilted his head forward. "Good. I didn't want to make an unfavorable impression since I've decided to take residence here."

"Take residence…you're staying?" Benny questioned, shaking his head. "Wait, last time we saw you, guns were blazing all over. What happened?"

At this, Rock lowered his head.

"Shit Shit Shit!"

Loading shell after shell into his Remington Model 1100, Bao hissed as his precious bar was pelleted with bullets.

For the thirteenth time this year, he gritted his teeth as the violent banging against his counter both vexed him and made him rejoice for bulletproofing his bar counter.

In a city like this, it was money well spent. Now, if only he could make his bar everything-proof?

A bullet flew over his head and broke his bottles, spilling booze over Bao as he scowled. "If I survive this shit, which is un-fucking-likely."

He couldn't even blame this on Revy. That bitch was long gone before any of this shit started.

*Creek*

Through a hail of bullets being fired, the bartender managed to pick up on the squeaking whine of his old floor followed by the gentle tapping of shoes. Aiming his shotgun towards his hallway, Bao was greeted by the sight of a man walking casually through his hall, stopping at the corner as bullets flew by.

Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, his lips moving to the sound of the gunfire. Noticing Bao from the corner of his eyes, the man raised his right hand, only to lower it to the point where his arm was at an angle before turning it into a fist with his thumb pointed upwards as his left hand touched his lips.

Having spent years in the ARVN, Bao quickly translated the message.

Stay down and out of sight or you're dead. I'll handle these guys.

As much as he wanted to call bullshit, the shooting had finally ended as the sound of boots walking over a broken glass filled the air. The man in the hallway narrowed his ears and reached into his jacket as he heard someone say. "All targets have been eliminated, sir. Alright, men, switch to Charlie Mike and begin searching the corpses. Move like pond water, everyone. Our clients want their dirty secrets handled before the sun rises. If you locate the package, then bring it over for confirmation. Once confirmation has been made, dispose of the package. Hangfire until then, understood?"

"Affirmative!" Multiple voices called out in unison before the room became filled with the sound of bodies being moved.

*Sigh*

"Something wrong, sir?"

"I'll say," A new voice, their superior grunted, sounding rather displeased. "I was expecting more of a fight from these pissants, considering where we are. Now I'll admit we took them by surprise, but Come On! At least some of these fucks should've survived! What A Letdown!"

"I'm sorry, Captain."

"Don't be, Storm. You didn't do anything wrong," Their Captain sighed. "I'm just aching for a real challenge. Sick and tired of all these easy jobs, with our opponents being nothing more than trash."

"Sir!" Another voice shouted. "We've finished examining the bodies."

"And?" Storm asked, cautious.

"We've managed to locate some discs, but some of us have noticed that none of them match the description of our current tangos," The soldier explained, deepening the frown on the man in the hallway as he peeked out slightly.

"Captain! We have a live one," Bao grimaced as he heard their weapons being cocked. "Shall we dispose of him?"

Stomping towards them, the Captain said. "Negative. We may have a problem and this sack of shit going to tell us. Can he sing?"

Suddenly, a pained scream echoed through the dark as the soldier said. "Like a bird."

"P-Please do-don't-"

"That all depends on you. We have some questions, and you're going to answer them. Do a good enough job, and we'll help you. How does that sound?"

"Anything," The Survivor gasped out, frightened beyond reasoning.

"Excellent. Now my unit and I, we're not from around here you see, and we're hired to locate a group of thieves who've stolen from our client. We were told our targets visit this…loving establishment regularly, so confronting them here seemed to have made things easier on all of us, but my men are having doubts that our targets are here if they even were," The Captain lowered his voice and stage-whispered. "That's where you come in. Does the name Lagoon Company ring any bells? Have you seen them around?"

Holding back his swears, Bao exhaled slowly. 'Of course, why am I even surprised? If I die, I'm going to haunt that bitch for eternity.'

"La-Lagoon," The Survivor breathed out. "They were here, but they left a while ago."

*Bang*

No one flinched as a gunshot went off, briefly lighting the darkroom.

"Fucking great," The Captain groaned, annoyed. "We wasted a full magazine, and for what? For nothing."

"Seems so," Storm exhaled. "What's the call, Captain? By now, they've probably left the city while we're wasting our time here."

"I know, but it's not like we can call for assistance, now can we?"

"Fraid not, sir. However, our clients were generous enough to leave a pretty little present for us."

"The Hind," The Captain grinned darkly. "And we happen to know their destination. Alright, men. It's time to move out."

Quietly, Bao sighed in relief. 'Finally, it's over.'

"I'm afraid," As a new voice filled the air, followed by the clanking of shoes. "That this is not allowed."

Whipping his head towards his empty hallway, Bao cursed his luck as he peeked over his counter and found the man standing in front of him, shielding Bao from sight.

Not like it would make a difference. Bao clenched his teeth as the mercenaries focused their attention on this man.

"Well, would you look at this? We got ourselves a live one," The Captain grinned as his men aimed their rifles at the newest survivor, who looked unfazed by the firing squad. "Where were you hiding?"

The Dumbass frowned. "I wasn't hiding, I was gathering information on potential threats. However, you've confirmed your lack of reinforcements, and knowing this, you are no longer needed."

"Really?" The Captain jerked his head towards his units, amused. "You're outnumbered, 30 to 1. Unless you have what we're looking for, I'd say it's you who isn't needed."

"Thirty to One?" He mumbled, only to be ignored by the Captain as he signaled for his second in command, who nodded. "You're mistaken…"

"Alright boys," Storm declared, aiming his AKS-74U. "Fire!"

*Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang*

The first thought that entered Bao's head as the shots went off was Dumb Fuck.

Then, as he heard multiple thuds, the bartender peeked over the counter and the next thought that came to mind was the same as everyone else.

Their victim stood there with a pistol in each hand, their slides held back in their locks, and fourteen bodies now lay on the floor, blood spilled from their forehead. The mercenaries recoiled at the sight, while their captain focused his attention on Storm, who stared back aimlessly with bloodshot eyes.

How The Fuck!?

"It's not thirty to one. Rather it's sixteen to one," Unfazed by the silence, the man sighed. "Honestly, you should have brought more soldiers. It would've made things interesting."

"Who The Fuck Are You?!" One of the soldiers shouted, finally breaking from his stupor.

With a slight frown, he advised. "That doesn't matter anymore. What should matter is your survival, which is also irrelevant as none of you are leaving this place alive."

"What the fuck?" Bao muttered, lowering his head from the counter. 'That shouldn't have been possible. Even Revy isn't that crazy.'

The bartender was pulled away from his thoughts by the sound of laughter. The Captain chuckled as his men took positions around the man, weapons ready to fire at the slightest movement.

"You're something else, you know that?" He pointed out as he reached for his AK from over his shoulder. "It's not every day you find someone like you, but then again, I can't complain…"

"…Rock."

"Rock," The Captain repeated with a smirk, liking the sound of that. "I've been waiting for a challenge, you see? My men and I have been through hell, battle after battle, and every time…" Pulling the charging handle of his AK, he continued with a bloodthirsty glint behind his glasses. "We've survived, we've triumphed-"

"You're bored," Rock concluded flatly, feeling a tremor from his pistols before releasing their slide locks. "Admittedly, I can understand your feelings, and it sickens me. You're nothing more than a wannabe vet who believes he's some kind of cowboy. This isn't about your contract, you just kill for the hell of it. And yet, you dare to complain about how easy it is," He lifted his head, showing his disdain through a rare blaze in his eyes. "You're nothing like her, and I have no reason to continue with this farce. I've wasted enough time listening to your babbling."

"And what are you going to do about it?" The Captain grinned, pointing his gun. "Shoot us with empty guns. You should've thought about reloading when you had the chance, dipshit."

Frowning, their prey examined his weapons as his men drew closer, ignorant of his situation.

"Empty?" Rock mumbled, only to stare at them with half-lidded eyes and a lifeless smile. "There's no need to worry. Since the beginning, my Silverballers have never failed me. They're specially made through an N.C system…." Shaking his head, he straightens his posture and smiles. "Well, never mind the details. Let's give this over with, shall we?"

*BangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBangBang*

As though on cue, Rock dived behind the counter and landed into a crouching sprint as bullets pelted his previous position before leaping out of cover near the hallway. Instinctively, he noticed a gap in their positioning and aimed his left Silverballer as the soldiers focused on his movement rather than his empty guns.

*Bang Bang*

As his empty gun fired twice, the merc was shot in his stomach and his right shoulder as the recoil threw his aim off. As this was going on, Rock had already slipped behind their firing line and, after holstering his left pistol, grabbed the merc's rifle as he pointed his weapon toward his comrades. Worse yet, his finger was still on the trigger, so three of his comrades were suddenly pelted by his friendly fire, while the rest were forced to abandon their shooting in favor of avoiding 5.25 caliber rounds.

'Thirteen.'

Once the AK was empty, Rock kicked the wounded mercs towards his comrade while putting a bullet through his head. Reclaiming his left Silverballer, he opened fire on the mercenaries closest to him, killing four before the remaining mercs returned fire, forcing him to move.

'Nine.'

Sliding behind an upturned table, Rock pressed his back against it as the barrage continued, albeit at a smaller rate. Instinctively, the Hitman knew three out of the nine were providing covering fire for the remaining six as they moved towards the door, either to escape the area or relocate to a better position.

Regardless, this will not be tolerated, but he had to wait for their support to stall.

'The AKS-74U has a magazine capacity of thirty rounds but considering the number of shots fired and that they're shooting at full-auto, I'd say their rifles are equipped with extended magazines, and the shape of the magazines, they must have forty-five round magazines.' Rock pondered, shifting his head as a bullet hole appeared in his earlier spot. 'Which means they'll need to reload soon. Hopefully, before my position is compromised. That said, they won't leave themselves vulnerable…'

Just then, as the shooting subsided slightly, he felt something smack against the table and quickly leaped from his cover as an explosion erupted behind him, sending him crashing against the bar counter.

Not one to take things lying down, Rock rolled on his stomach before firing back and managed to eliminate their support as they tried to line their shots. However, the remaining six had already made it outside and began firing at his position. Thankfully, the Hitman was quick on his feet, rolling backward before diving behind the counter.

'At least, they haven't escaped, but now they're using grenades now,' He sighed, shooting back. 'This has to end soon before they decide to cut their losses and pursue the Lagoon Company.'

When his Silverballers ran empty, Rock crouched behind the bar and noticed the bartender pointing a shotgun at his face.

Sighed, Rock muttered, "Knew I was forgetting something."

"What the hell is your problem?!" Bao hissed. "They were leaving! Why kick the hornet's nest like that? Do you know how much this is going to cost?"

Humming, he guessed. "Around $60,000?"

"Exactly!"

"I'll pay you for the damages," Rock assured him as his pistols vibrated. "However, I need to deal with these mercenaries."

Baffled, Bao blinked. "What?"

'Point Shooting is a favorable option,' He frowned, crossing his pistols against his chest as they pelted the bar counter(Bulletproof, thankfully). 'But it's taxing on the mind and I've already used it once. I've recovered a little, but will it be enough?'

Exhaling softly, Rock closed his eyes and allowed his senses to spread.

Behind him, five yellowish beings appeared as they crouched beneath windows, rising to shoot at his position. Meanwhile, slightly further away, a reddish being rushed towards a jeep and opened the trunk, likely searching for additional weapons or ammunition.

"Not running away," Rock smirked, flatly. "He's no hypocrite. I'll give him that."

His smirk quickly turned to a small scowl as The Captain took out what appeared to be an M79 Grenade Launcher, opening the hatch and inserting a shell before snapping the barrel shut.

"Shit!" Rock swore as the target rushed towards the doorway, causing a brief ceasefire from his men. "No Choice!"

With a deep breath, Rock forced his eyes open before taking a stand over the counter.

The world came to a halt as his mind burned.

Six Targets.

Estimated distance: 20 meters

Obstructions Between Targets: Minimal

Obstacles:

Eight Windows: Odds of ducking down are high

Width: Three to Four meters. Height: Five meters. Distance Between Each Other: Four Meters

Entrance. Width: Eight meters. Doors were destroyed in the initial barrage.

Threats: The main target is carrying an M79 and is already angling the grenade launcher towards the bar counter. Escape is possible, but it jeopardizes the bartender and risks damaging the building's stability.

Solution:…

Slowly, time started moving again.

With a swift exhale through his nose, Rock aimed his right pistol towards the Captain as the mercenary lined up his shot.

With their triggers, the grenade shell poked its head out like a rabbit from its hole, but the .45 ACP round flew like an arrow freed of its bow.

Like a hunter-catching prey.

*BANG*

Seeing a flash of light from under his counter, Bao braced himself as his precious building trembled fiercely. It was only after the building settled that he unclenched his eyes and turned towards the absolute psycho standing next to him. Slowly and against his growing dread, Bao grabbed the edges of his counter and lifted himself before paling at the sight ahead of him.

Lowering his pistol, he nodded before holstering his Silverballers. "All targets neutralized. Now, then-"

Gripping his hair, Bao interrupted him by screaming. "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

An appropriate response after witnessing the GAPING CRATER that was the entrance. With such haste that sorta impressed Rock, Bao pressed the Model 1100 at his forehead, despite knowing how futile it was.

Curling his lips, Rock hummed nonchalantly. "It appears that the cost of repairs will be one hundred, twenty thousand dollars."

With his veins popping out, Bao scowled. "And you're going to pay for every last cent, or I'm going to weld your asshole shut and make you a new one on your head!"

Sighing, Rock went into his pockets and pulled out his phone. "I'd said I would cover the repair bill and I'm a man of my word….sometimes. What's your account?"

"I'll handle things, and that's all that matters," Rock concluded as his audience stared weirdly at him. "Afterwards, I borrowed a set of keys from one of the corpses and made my way here to pick up Colin and Anna. Then I took the airport, where they will be heading to my contact to forge new identities for them to live by."

"Alright, but why are you here?" Revy frowned, crossing her arms.

"I thought that was obvious," He blinked, tilting his head. "I've decided to stay here."

Staring blankly, Revy monotoned. "What?"

"I'll explain later, for now, I have to examine my new apartment and make sure it stands to my expectations."

Standing up, Rock took her hand into his own and shook it. "Till we may again, I suppose. I'll show myself out."

Once he left, there was a silence that filled the room until they heard an engine start up.

Once the noise was gone, Benny sighed. "I'm going to work on computer maintenance. I need to take my mind off of today.

"I know what you mean, Benny-boy," Dutch nodded as they walked passed Revy, who stared at her hands. "You coming, Revy?"

Looking up, Revy scoffed, clenching her fists. "Go on without me. I'm going to check with Richie about some improvements for my Cutlasses." Forcing her way past them, she opened the door before looking back.

They held their grimaces as Two-Hands bared down on them with a predatory gleam.

"Don't wait up."

Outside, the night sky was glowing with the city lights. Whether they were bright shops or the occasional flash of a gun, Roanapur shined with a, to an outsider, beautiful shine like that of priceless gems.

*Pat Pat*

And yet trailing down a dimly lit hallway, she had no reason to admire what she knew was an ugly tramp hidden beneath a pretty face. She had no reason to think highly of the shit that poured out of the fancy shops. She had no reason to like this beautiful city.

She had every reason to hate Roanapur.

And yet, this is all she's ever had.

Tragic, isn't it?

Grimacing, she took her frustration out on the door, banging it so hard that she could see the cracks forming.

"Open this fucking door," She growled before giving it a nasty kick. "Before I Break It Down!"

"I wouldn't do that." Looking back the way she came, she found the target of rage staring flatly at her, a hand in his pocket and another holding his briefcase. "Cause the repairs won't be coming out of my wallet."

"Rock," She growled.

"Revy," He sighed dryly.

"Last night, you said you'd snitch about how you knew they were coming," She crossed her arms, glaring heatedly at him as she held out a tiny scrap of paper. "You wrote to come to this address at 7 pm. Well now's the fucking time."

Once more, Rock sighed. "You're impatient." Before she could argue, he held up his hand and continued. "However, I promised to share this information with you and only you," Rock admitted before walking over to her and unlocking the door. "This way."

When she walked through the doorway, Revy had to admit that the apartment wasn't what she had expected from a fucking bastard like Rock. The apartment only had three rooms with the largest room serving as a living room and kitchen. The second room, separated by a set of blue curtains, was the bedroom, and the door closest to them was the bathroom.

It was bigger than hers, but it was well furnished and very clean.

Looking over her shoulder, Revy snorted. "There is no fucking way this is yours. Who owns this?"

"It belonged to Colin," He explained, locking the door behind them. "However, seeing as they won't be returning, Anna gave it to me as a way of thanks."

With a soft exhale, Rock examined the apartment, crinkling his brows. "Honestly, she shouldn't have done this. This place could've been comprised, and she wouldn't have even realized."

Plopping herself on the couch, Revy scoffed. "I'm feeling a but coming on?"

"It turns out that I might have overestimated their pursuers. Keeping an ear to the city, it turns out that one of Colin's previous acquaintances caught sight of Anna last night and left to inform his employers. However, upon their return, they were greeted by the sight of a bullet-ridden bar filled with corpses," Rock sighed, taking a seat next to Revy and placing his briefcase on the coffee table. "Safe to say, they won't look any further than Colin and Anna are dead. Which works well in their favor."

"Because they left this shitty city. Big fucking whoop," Revy said with her arms behind her head.

"That, and now, they can safely raise their child," Rock revealed, making Revy stiffen. "Anna was brought to Roanapur through human trafficking and trained to entertain a debauched clientele. Day in and day out, nothing more than an outlet for their lust without any consideration for her plights. They ravaged her and her fellow slaves without remorse, and their jailers benefit from them every. Single. Day." Leaning forward, Rock continued in a chilling tone. "Even partaking in the festivities."

"So, the broad has a bun in her oven," Revy retorted, her calmness belied her disgust. "What does that have to do with the fuck boy? Let me guess, he thought he could be her knight in shining armor, who rescues the slut and rides off into the sunset. Only to realize that real life was never so kind and bit off more than he could chew," She snorted coldly. "Probably thought the little shit in her womb is his."

"Not quite," Rock stated, catching her confusion. "Throughout her life, Anna has been abused to the nearest extent of the word. Her family…sold her off to pay off their debts," He noticed the slightest twitch from Revy before resuming. "From what I saw, she was someone who has never experienced kindness nor warmth in her whole life. Anna was already prepared to give up on life and accepted whatever cruelty was sent her way. That is until she met Colin, a young man raised in Roanapur, accompanying his employer in testing their products."

"Although they met under …unpleasant conditions, they quickly found themselves growing closer with every passing day. They, who never felt joy, were falling in love," Rock smiled dryly, only to frown darkly. "However, Anna was diagnosed as pregnant, and they grew fearful. Even if the baby wasn't his, Colin was more than willing to raise this child as his own with Anna. The problem was their employer. In their business, they endorse a wide variety of activities, but they don't exactly practice safe sex. Why bother when there are so many fresh products ripe for the taking? Any women who've contracted STDs are whisked away to happier places, never to be seen again."

Glaring coldly, Revy added. "And considering what comes out in nine months, it's the same for pregnant women. And let me guess, they endorse that as well?"

"Before they could whisk her away, Colin came to her rescue and killed everyone in their way. The employer had put out a bounty for their capture, possibly to deal with them himself. They were hiding out in the Yellow Flag, scared and desperate," Rock explained. "Then I introduced myself, you know the rest."

Shaking her head, Revy retorted. "No, I don't know. Which leads us to the whole fucking point of this little get-together."

"It will be simpler to show you," Rock said, reaching for his briefcase. As he undid the latches, Revy leaned closer as her curiosity started to get the better of her. However, once he opened his case, her interest died a horrible death.

"Really? Fucking Clothes?!"

Reaching inside, Revy scowled as she pulled out a gray jacket. "Why do you have fucking clothes in a briefcase!?"

"I never say it was a briefcase."

That caught her off, but she glared fiercely.

Cracking a tiny smirk, Rock took his jacket from her and started removing the clothes inside until they were left staring at the redlining.

"Answer me this, Revy. What do you see?"

"An empty fucking briefcase," She answered flatly as Rock touched the right latch. "Truly, but doesn't seem rather wide compared to normal briefcases. Then again, it's also not large enough to be considered a suitcase. At best, it can only carry a single set of clothes, plus footwear, but there's something you didn't take into consideration," He stated, clicking on the latch. "The lining of this case is rather ill-fitted. Like something was hidden beneath the lining."

Suddenly, the lining on the bottom case split apart, until a squarish gap was all that was left.

Looking inside, Revy blinked in astonishment. "Guns."

"Well-hidden guns. In my profession, it's wise to have your equipment at all times," Rock acknowledged as they examined its content. "And this case does the job perfectly, with their hidden compartments. The bottom side houses my primary equipment. A specially modified disassembled Walther WA 2000 and two customized AMT Hardballers with detachable suppressors, which I call my Silverballers," He paused before taking a chance. "Both were created using an N.C system."

"Bullshit!" Jolting up, Revy glared at him as she pointed at his guns. "The N.C system is a shittin' myth! The closest thing we dipshits got to that is the IMR, and they belong to the Fenrir."

"Well, this is a surprise. Revy is knowledgeable on weapons," He admitted before countering. "3D printed weaponry is indeed uncommon in this day and age, but that doesn't mean there haven't been advancements in its field such as printed ammunition."

"Don't fuck with me, asshole. I've seen guns made through those printers, and I've had to ship crates of them for a living," Revy frowned as she narrowed her eyes. "But an N.C system? Those things are supposed to be….next-gen. Guns that never break down, never rust, never dent, and they never stop shooting. Like what you see from a videogame."

Shaking his head, Rock explained. "Not quite, but you're close enough. The Nanite Construction System is the first production system that combines the most advanced technology known; Nanotechnology and Three-Dimensional Printing. The N.C.S follows the basic principles of 3D printing while substituting basic materials with nanites, which would continuously replicate itself to maintain functionality. They can create weapons based on the exact blueprints used to build them, regardless of how complicated it may seem. Still, the N.C.S is not without limits, and it can't create anything beyond the realm of reality."

Taking a pistol out of his case, Rock examined it briefly and passed it to Revy, who stared warily before holding it. Scrunching her brows, she weighted the gun and found it to be somewhat lighter than her Cutlasses. Ejecting the magazine, she found that there were no bullets in their feed. Instead, there was a small hole at the top of the magazine.

"As you've noticed, my Silverballer is made using lightweight metals. Lighter than any of the metals used in basic gunsmithing, which proves that they were 3D printed. Meanwhile, the magazine doesn't store bullets but rather nanites that are programmed to replicate .45 ACP rounds once they're connected to the silverballer. It stores enough nanites for seven bullets and only regenerates them once depleted. Simply put, the magazine acts as a battery, while the gun itself is a miniature printer."

Case in point, Rock took back his gun and inserted the magazine before pulling back the slide as an unspent bullet fell into his hand. Tossing it to his left, Revy caught a bullet as her eyes became obsessed with the chunk of metal resting in her twitching hands.

As Two-Hands glanced to her left, he shook his head. "The N.C systems are considered a myth because they cost an abysmal amount of resources and money to build just one system. I don't know how many exist, just that they do exist. And for the record, the system that built my Silverballers is no longer active," Placing the gun back in the case, his eyes became hollow. "I made certain of that."

Looking at the left latch, Revy glanced at its owner, who nodded as her fingers inched towards it. After pressing it, the upper case revealed a mini laptop fitted nicely in the center. To the right, there were two magazines, no doubt spares for the sniper rifle, and two rods placed tightly together on the left. At the top was a cylinder, while under the laptop were three small vials of red, blue, and green liquids.

"These are my secondary equipment, but the most important piece in this case," Rock explained before taking out the laptop. "Is this."

Sliding the case to the side, Rock laid the computer between them. However, glancing coldly at Revy, he frowned darkly. "Before I continue, I must warn you. Nothing spoken in this room will leave this room. If it does, then your life and the lives of anyone you tell will be forfeit. Regardless of my own opinion, I must value secrecy before all else. Am I clear?"

Narrowing her eyes, Two Hands bit her lips.

Just then, Revy scowled. "Fine, but let me tell you something. Ever since our little chat, I've been trying to figure you out, and now I got it," Looking directly at his eyes, Two Hands smirked dryly. "You said that killing is all you know and you mentioned dealing with people worse than Roanapur and having to put them down. Then at the Yellow Flag, you threw a fucking mil in my face and acted like it was chump change. Oh, and let's not forget that you stay behind to take on a band of mercenaries, and shit on them if Bao spoke the truth."

Throughout this, Rock watched her with a lifeless stare that made her blood turn to ice, but despite this, she pressed on. "I think… no, I know what you are. The blank stare, the cold presence, and now this," Gesturing at the briefcase, Revy grinned savagely. "You're an assassin, aren't you?"

*Silence*

"Phh," Rock snorted quietly before his mouth twitched upwards. "You're smarter than you let on. Good," Opening his laptop, he said. "Then this will be easy. Yes, I'm an assassin. A Hitman, to be exact."

As the screen lit up, Revy grimaced. "There's more to this, isn't there? Fuck."

"Please pay attention because I'm serious when I say that I'm risking both our lives by telling you this," Rock deadpanned before displaying a crowned skull within a triangle on his laptop. "You see, I'm more than an assassin. I'm an assassin who works for a multibillion-dollar organization that specializes in intelligence and prides itself on being the gold standard in the world of assassination. The International Contract Agency, or ICA as some would call us. They're my employers."

Squinting at the screen, Revy muttered. "Okay, so you think you're big or something?"

"Hardly. Maybe this will convey the message better."

With a few taps on the board, the Hitman showed Revy something that froze her blood solid.

Rebecca Lee

Birth Year: 1973

Age: 23

Place of Birth: Chinatown, New York City, NY, USA

Status: Active, Wanted

Crimes:

Fifty Live Accounts of Murder: Twenty in the First Degree, Twenty-Five in the Second Degree, Five in the Third Degree.

Destruction of Property: Total Amount Approximately at around Thirty-Seven Thousand Dollars.

Several Violent Acts against Police (Primarily Towards The 27th Precinct, NYC, NY, USA)

Escaped Prison Convict: Buffallo Hill Correctional Facility, Alden, NY, USA

Current Location: Roanupur, Thailand, Asia

Current Alias: Revy, Two Hands

Currently Under Employment with Shipping Company known as The Lagoon Company

ICA reports no Contracts involving Rebecca Lee

Rock was quick as he took her guns before she could shoot, kicking his case on the table and out of her reach. Just as she was quick to get on her feet, watching him as he pointed her guns and kept her from fucking smashing that damn computer.

Amidst her frantic panting, Rock damned her by admitting. "You want to know something really scary. That's just your criminal record. We know everything."

Pushing her back, Two Hands panted in ill-concealed fury and pointed at that damn thing. "That is what I've been trying to hide from everyone in this f-fucking city for god damn Eight FUCKING YEARS! YOU'VE GOT SOME FUCKING BALLS TO SAY YOU KNOW EVERYTHING!? I HAVEN'T RISKED SO MUCH SHIT JUST TO HAVE IT COME SCREECHING BACK IN MY FUCKING EARS. SO-"

"So what?" Rock said, forcing the words back down her throat as he walked toward her, towering over her frozen form. "In case you've forgotten, there will always be people more dangerous than what you've experienced, and right now you're standing in front of what most would call the world's greatest assassin. So pardon my language when I say, shut the hell up…"

Lowering his voice to a whisper, he leaned towards her ear.

"…before I make you."

Two Hands was reckless. Despite everything saying otherwise, she was aware of that, and she didn't care. The reason is that she was reckless, not stupid. She knew who she could fuck with and who not to fuck. Whether it meant less money in her wallet or her corpse floated by the dock.

Big Sis. Boss Chang. Dutch.

Maybe Two Hands could take a chunk out of their flesh, but only after they took her head from her shoulders. They would kill her sure, but Two Hands felt like she could at least make a few dents on them if she tried, not that she would.

Not him though.

Hearing his voice pushed her instincts into overdrive. Her heart was pumping like a heavy metal drum solo, and her ears took in his every nonexistent breath like they were the roars of a thunderstorm. Her eyes saw nothing but a bottomless abyss and her body felt numb like she walking through a blizzard.

Only one thought went through her frozen mind.

Nothing.

Nothing …could do

There was nothing that Two Hands could do that would even affect him.

Two Hands could leave no dents.

Two Hands could not take a chunk.

Two Hands was….

She was powerless…

More again, she was at someone's mercy.

Before she fall any further, Revy was jolted back into reality by a hand resting on her shoulder. Blinking, she realized she was laying on the couch. Recalling what happening, Revy inhaled sharply as Rock crouched up beside her.

"Easy easy," Rock said gently, slowly releasing his grip. "You were having a panic attack, and I had to…restrain you," He sighed, looking at the black screen. "I had a feeling you'd react negatively to this, but to that extent?"

Shakily, Revy muttered. "W-What did you f-fucking expect? I've spent my l-life r-running from my shitstorm of a past, and then you decide to…"

"That wasn't my aim, but I suppose it proves my sincerity about the ICA. If it helps, your past won't see the light of day as long as no one files a contract with them. The ICA stands by a rule of neutrality, as in we won't get involved unless we're paid to do so," Standing up, Rock stared flatly, but she could almost see empathy in that hollow stare. "There is only us, a target, and a contract. Nothing else matters as long as it doesn't violate our agreements."

Sighing, Rock continued, kneeling before his case. "The reason I decided to tell you this is because my employer wanted to stay in Roanupur and act as their…"

Taking out the twin rods, Rock gripped them with both hands before spreading them as a thin cord stretched out.

"Representative. Yes, let's go with that. In exchange, they pulled some strings for the request I made earlier."

Gazing at his unguarded back, Revy noticed something peculiar about Rock. At the base of his nape, there was a tattoo edged into his skin, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the design that intrigued her. It was a long set of lines varying in width with a set of numbers underneath. Almost like a…

"Barcode?" She thought before suddenly sitting up. "Hold a fucking second! You owe me!?"

As the two rods clanged together, Rock looked over his shoulder, raising his brow. "Parden?"

"You fucking heard me! You just flashed my record like that, and let's not forget payment for those dipshits, which I won't be seeing a cent of!"

"Your point being…?"

"My point…" Revy sighed, grimacing for a moment before scowling. "Is that I wanted something from this whole mess, and I'm getting it from you. You got that?"

"Fine," Rock shrugged, much to her surprise. Closing his briefcase, he picked it up before turning towards Revy. "What do you want? Money?"

Shaking her head, Revy grinned. "Tempting, but no dice. I want you…"

*Silence*

The silence was thick. Thick with awkwardness.

"Eh?" Rock sweatdropped, tilting his head.

"Your assistance, fuckface," Revy coughed, ignoring the red forming on her face, embarrassed.

"Oh? Oh. With what, exactly?"

"Whatever I can think of," Revy stated before quickly explaining as Rock narrowed his eyes. "Now I'm not asking you to be my slave. Just whenever you…have time and I need something down, you'll help…"

It was a bad deal.

While Revy was wincing, Rock lowered his head, closing his eyes. "She's trying to act clever, but the truth is she's still hung up on our discussions from yesterday. She's frightened because she realizes that I may know her past, but she still desires to change herself despite this. The only problem is that she lacks inner strength, unable to face her inner demons, possibly due to years of suppressing her past," Opening his eyes, Rock exhaled quietly without her noticing. " No. I told her that I can't help her with her issues. This is something only she can do. I should focus on-"

A woman dressed in gauzes flashed in his mind.

"There's no shame in having limitations, but they shouldn't be your excuses."

His lips parted slightly before pressing them together, exhaling noisily through pursed lips.

"Revy," He said, catching her attention. "I accept your condition, but only if you agree to act as my guide. As you already know I'm new to Roanupur and I'll need…help to navigate this city. If you can agree to keep your mouth shut and show around, then I'll offer my assistance when I have the time and I'll make sure your files remain undiscovered. Deal?"

It was an unnecessary offer.

Worthless Risks

Anyone else, and they'd be shot for such stupidity.

Then again…

Grinning, Revy nodded.

…they weren't like everyone else.

"Deal."

Have they arrived?

C: Just left the plane. They're confused, but I'm explaining it to them as best as I can. They think my name is Anya Lane, an expert at Identity Thefts and Gateway Expert. Credits given, they're not asking questions.

Good. Why did you have me send them to Canada?

C: The Board was planning to exchange an old safe house for a newer one and well, a family 'buying' the house does sound better than demolishing it. The ICA has already remodeled the house and removed any evidence of our work from the premise. You wanted me to leave them some money?

As much as they need to get off their feet… You've already done it, didn't you?

C: Guilty ;)

C: Still they're really happy. It's nice every once in and while.

C: One more thing, that Anna girl asked if I could relay a message to you.

C: Is it done?

Lowering his phone, Rock looked around the office as the morning sun shined through the blinds.

The blood-stained walls as the ceiling fan spun slowly before finally crashing down. Looking back, He examined the body slumped on the dripping desk as his leather chair was given a red coat.

Smirking, Rock went back to his phone as he walked towards the exit.

Tell her it's done. Narisa and his goons won't bother anyone ever again.

C: Of course. Additionally, Lalu Khan has expressed his most sincere gratitude for assisting in handling this matter. Narisa Pongsak had violated his reputation by endorsing such disgusting activities like rape and… well less said the better. He'll have one of his best lieutenants take control of this club and hopefully restore it to its rightful state.

Understood. Inform ICA Director Lalu Khan that I have acquired the names of Narisu's exclusive clientele and their locations. I'm going off the assumption that he'll want to remind his followers why they shouldn't try abusing their employees.

C: You assume correctly as usual. The King of Whores treats his subjects well. Lawbreakers must be punished. He has promised additional Forty Thousand Dollars for every necrophilic you castrate.

Already planning on it. Transferring the names as we speak. Talk to you later, Clera. Roanupur's about to be short a few lechs.

C: Can't wait to hear about it. Good Luck, 47.

While I have you, I decided to take the name Rock while I'm here. Please refer to me as such when we're off duty.

C: Very well, then.

C: Good Luck, Rock.